James EunsonBallad of a Scarfie: Youth, the Short Story, and the Future of New Zealand LiteratureIn 2014, Dunedin was granted City of Literature status by UNESCO, and prominent literary figures such as James K. Baxter, Janet Frame, Dan Davin and others have all called Dunedin home in the past. My paper will be an analytical look at Davin’s life in Dunedin and its impact, as well as Dunedin’s history as a hub of literary talent, before closing with my perspective as an up and coming young author on what Dunedin can offer and what the future holds.

BiographyJames Eunson was born in Invercargill and lived in Southland for most of his life. He took up his first year of tertiary study in Dunedin in 2016, studying a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Otago. He has won the Dan Davin Short Story awards twice, in 2014 and 2015, and gained a third placing in 2013. He has also won the Southland District Council Anzac Essay Competition three times. He has strong interests in New Zealand literature and considers Dan Davin his personal icon. His first book will be published sometime in the near future.